White Clouds in a Gold Sky
by Nyota Hyena
Summary: When Simba and Nala sneak out of the Pridelands and into a jungle, they are thrown into a conflict like none other than what they've experienced, and meet some new friends along the way.
1. Grounded

**Author's Note:**_ So, here you have it, my first Fanfiction! If you haven't guessed by now, this is a Kimba the White Lion/Lion King crossover, even though it's not displayed in the crossover section._

_Anyway, I'm going to be using the names, places, and episode references of the 1965 dub for the Kimba aspect of this fanfic (Kimba, Kitty, Caesar, etc.). Not only they're easy to remember, but it's the series I first saw. I personally don't like the New Adventures or the 1993 redub that much. Nonetheless, I think Kimba deserves his own spot on ._

_A little note on the story itself: This has taken me a period of at least a year to write, and my writing has obviously evolved, as seen in the later chapters. Trust me, the writing itself gets better as we go on._

_Disclaimer: Disney owns the Lion King and any characters from it, while Osamu Tezuka owns Kimba the White Lion and any characters from it._

_And, without further ado, here's the first chapter of my first Fanfiction!_

**Chapter 1**

Africa was home to many prides of lions, but almost none were as powerful as the Pridelanders, living in the heart of the Pridelands: Pride Rock. The Pridelands were ruled by King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi. Simba was their son, the future king.

Simba was still a young cub, full of curiosity and innocence. Not long ago, he and his friend Nala wandered off to the Elephant Graveyard, and the three hyenas; Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed; had intended to make a meal of the two cubs. Zazu, Mufasa's hornbill majordomo, alerted Mufasa himself to rescue the cubs, and now, Simba and Nala are confined to Pride Rock.

"It's not fair," Simba whined, pacing back and forth. "I want to at least go somewhere."

"I know, right?" Nala agreed. "It's boring here."

Simba pawed at a loose pebble in the wall of the cave, growling. "This will be the longest month of my life."

"Same here," Nala sighed, flicking her tail back and forth. "But at least we showed the hyenas!"

Simba grinned happily. "Hey. I have an idea! I'll be us, and you be the hyenas!"

Nala crouched down in a hunter's position. "I'm going to get you!"

"No you won't!" Simba yowled playfully. "I'm the future king!"

The two cubs launched themselves at each other, playfully growling and wrestling together.

"Lionesses!" Mufasa's booming voice echoed around the cave. "I would like some of you to hunt for the pride's lunch. There's a herd of wildebeest not far from the hills. Be careful!"

About six lionesses, including Sarabi, Sarafina (Nala's mom), and Zira (A lioness who Simba's uncle Scar wanted to have as a mate), got up and padded off, chatting as they did so.

"A wildebeest does sound good," Simba mused.

Nala stretched. "Oh, tell me about it. I'm starving."

"Say, have you seen Uncle Scar?" Simba asked.

"Nope," Nala replied. "Haven't seen him since yesterday."

Simba grinned again. "Now you be us, and I'll be the hyenas!"

"You're on!" Nala yowled, and the two of them were at it again. They rolled around and around the cave. Suddenly, it got brighter. Nala cringed at the sudden light, then quickly recovered, for she and Simba had just noticed the new opening to Pride Rock.

"I didn't know Pride Rock had a back door," Simba murmured.

"Just look at the view!" Nala breathed.

"Isn't it beautiful?" A voice behind them asked.

Simba and Nala spun around. Sitting behind them was Mufasa himself, with amusement in his eyes.

"Dad!" Simba yelled happily, tackle-hugging him.

"Hi, Mufasa!" Nala greeted him, bowing her head. "That's a beautiful jungle over there." She flicked her tail out the opening at the vast jungle off in the distance.

Mufasa laughed. "That there is the jungle beyond our kingdom. It is said that another lion rules over that kingdom."

"What's his name?" Simba asked.

"What's he like?" Nala inquired.

"Is he brave like you, Dad?" Simba questioned.

Mufasa gazed out in the direction of the jungle. "Last I heard, the ruler was a very brave and noble lion named Caesar. He's very unusual, because his pelt is as white as a cloud. He believes in peace among all creatures, including the pigs and cows of the humans. He sometimes frees them from their pens and releases them into the jungle. Most animals respect him highly, because he is so wise."

"A white lion!" Nala commented. "Wow. He must be very brave!"

"I want to meet him someday!" Simba declared.

Mufasa let out another chuckle. "Maybe sometime I will take you two to the jungle so we can meet him. But not today. Remember, you're still grounded."

"Aww," Simba and Nala complained, watching him pad off to talk to Zazu. After about five minutes of gazing wistfully at the jungle outside, the two cubs fell asleep.

When they woke up, it was nighttime. Half a wildebeest laid in the corner, to be finished for breakfast. One good-sized chunk of meat was lying beside them.

"We missed dinner," Simba grumbled.

"At least they left something for us," Nala pointed out. "Let's eat."

The two of them ate their late dinner, and then observed their surroundings.

"I still want to go into that jungle over there," Simba muttered.

"Me too," Nala agreed.

"Everyone's asleep, though," Simba pointed out, grinning. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Nala let out a small gasp. "Simba, if we're caught sneaking out, especially when we're already sort of in trouble, Mufasa will kill us!"

"Well, I don't want to wait to visit that jungle," Simba told her.

"Me neither," Nala mewed. "But I really don't want to get in trouble again."

Simba sighed. "Fine." He curled up next to the back entrance and was about to fall asleep, when he felt a paw on his back.

"On second thought," Nala confessed, "If it makes you happy, I'll go with you. Besides, you might need me to help take care of you."

"Hey!" Simba growled playfully.

"Besides," Nala continued. "I always like the thrill of sneaking out."

"We'd have to be super quiet, though," Simba whispered.

"_Extremely_ quiet," Nala added, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"So, what shall our strategy be?" Simba murmured. "We can do the simple and classic sneak-out mode, where we quietly put one paw in front of the other and watch our step and then quickly go to the jungle while everyone's asleep, or we can visit the Elephant Graveyard, invite the hyenas onto the Pridelands, convince them not to tell my father that we invited them, come back here, alert Zazu, show him the problem, have him come back here, alert my father, then my father will chase the hyenas off, but by then, there's too many of them for him to fight, so then he will get the lionesses, and then there will be a big battle, and in the confusion, we'll slip away and into the jungle!"

"That second one sounds very elaborate," Nala commented. "But I prefer the first one."

"Yeah, me too," Simba agreed. He poked his head out of the back entrance, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no steep cliff blocking their way to the jungle, just a couple of wooded hills. When he told this information to Nala, she also looked relieved.

Simba took a deep breath. "Here goes," he muttered, and stepped out of Pride Rock. When he was entirely out, he turned back to Nala, and asked, "Is anyone awake?"

Nala looked behind her. "No," she replied. "At least, I don't think so." She followed Simba out of their cave, and then poked her head back in. "Everyone's still asleep," she reported.

"Let's go," Simba muttered. Quickly, he and Nala made it down the first hill.

"So, we're halfway there," Nala whispered. "Jungle, here we come!"

The two of them looked over their shoulders again, and then quickly ascended and descended the second hill. When they reached the bottom of the hill, they couldn't help but gasp.

They had arrived at the jungle.

**Author's Note: **_Kimba still has yet to make his debut in this story, but don't worry, you'll be seeing him soon._

_Also, this takes place after all the episodes in the 1965 KTWL. As for Simba, it takes place on the day after the scene where Mufasa tells Simba about the Great Kings of the Past. Basically, it's between that scene and the "Be Prepared" scene._

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	2. Simba, meet Kimba

**Author's Note: **_So, now for chapter two!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Lion King or Kimba the White Lion. It's called FANfiction for a reason!_

**Chapter 2**

"It's so big!" Nala murmured.

"And steamy," Simba added. "But it's going to be better than the Elephant Graveyard, I can tell you that!"

"Let's go in before anyone finds out we're gone," Nala suggested.

"Yeah," Simba agreed. "Come on!"

Unlike the Elephant Graveyard, the jungle was beautiful. The trees were so lush and green, and nocturnal birds were chirping everywhere they looked. Best of all, the place seemed so _friendly_, even at night.

"I'm getting tired," Nala suddenly murmured with a yawn.

"Me too," Simba commented. "But let's not go back to Pride Rock. I want to be a resilient lion! In fact, I am one!"

"And very brave," Nala added. "And reckless!"

"Who are you calling reckless?" Simba challenged with a playful grin. "But I do want to go to sleep. Let's sleep inside this hollow, empty tree."

Nala nodded. "Yeah."

With that, the two of them crawled inside a hollow tree to rest. There was a bit of squirming around at first, especially when Nala sat on top of Simba. Finally, they fell asleep. When they woke up, they saw the place was even more amazing in the daylight.

"Wow," Simba murmured. "Why didn't we come here before?"

"We should go back," Nala urged.

"Not yet," Simba replied. "I want to explore."

Nala nodded. "All right. But I'm hungry!"

"Now that you mention it, I am, too," Simba replied.

"I bet you can't catch that butterfly over there!" Nala teased

.

"Oh, I certainly could!" Simba yowled playfully. "But why bother? It's just a stupid butterfly." He suddenly crouched down. "Reckon I can catch that mole over there?"

"No," Nala replied. "Unless Mufasa saw enough potential in you that he actually taught you something about hunting!"

"Oh, you just wait," Simba muttered. "The king has to be the best hunter in the savannah. I'm the future king, so I have to be the second-best hunter in the savannah!"

Nala rolled her eyes playfully. "Well, let's see what kind of a hunter you make!"

Simba slowly crept up on the mole. After he was not very far from it, he pounced, but before he landed, something collided with him. Hissing with rage, the whatever-it-was gave him a couple of well-aimed blows before getting off him and shaking itself off. Simba didn't quite know what it was, until it faced him.

It was a lion. A white lion. Only a cub, though. "Did I hurt you?" he asked, concern showing in his blue eyes.

"No," Simba replied, crossed. "But you ruined my hunt!"

"I'm sorry," the white cub apologized, but his voice remained firm. "But the thing is, in this jungle, all the animals are friends. We don't hunt each other, instead, we protect each other from threats from outside."

"Am _I _just a 'threat from outside'?" Simba demanded indignantly.

The white cub shook his head. "Sorry if you thought that. We try to make as many friends as possible. By threats, I mean poachers, natural disasters, and animals who want to take over the jungle."

"Oh." Simba still wasn't convinced. "What _do_ you eat, if you don't hunt?"

"I'm a vegetarian," the white cub replied.

"What?" Simba's fur fluffed up disbelievingly. "No way!"

"It's true," the white cub mewed. Then, he changed the subject by asking Simba, "What's your name?"

"I'm Simba, and that's my friend Nala," Simba replied.

"I'm Kimba," the white cub introduced himself. "Nice to meet you both!"

"Hey! Our names rhyme!" Simba exclaimed joyfully.

Kimba smiled. He may have been assertive, but Simba could see his cub spirit still in his eyes.

"Hey, Kimba!" Nala chimed in. "Do you know of a brave lion named Caesar?"

"He's my father," replied Kimba.

"My father is Mufasa, only the king of the entire Pridelands," Simba boasted. "But I'd love to meet your father!"

"Me too!" Nala agreed.

"That's nice," Kimba mewed, but he now had a far-off, distant look.

"What's wrong?" Simba asked, worried.

Kimba shifted his paws. "Well, the thing is…well, you see…er…"

"Spit it out!" Nala urged.

Kimba sighed. "Well, my father liked to come into the settlements of the native humans and set free their pigs and cows. The natives eventually got mad at him, even though he had good intentions. They and the game warden brought a couple of American hunters to kill him. But that didn't work, because Caesar was smarter and braver than the hunters. But they were cunning, too. They set a trap for him, using my mother, Snowene, as bait."

"That's horrible!" exclaimed Nala. Simba nodded in agreement.

Kimba nodded. "Father went to rescue Mother, not even dwelling on the danger that could be facing him. He made it past all the steel traps, but then one of the hunters shot him. He made it to Mother's cage, and told her that he found out a great name for their son, who happens to be yours truly. Then, they exchanged one last nuzzle. Then, he died." Kimba paused to allow a few tears to fall. Then, he continued.

"Mother was pregnant with me at the time. But the hunters weren't planning on letting us go. They took the cage with them, with the intention to sell us to a zoo. Then, Mother gave birth to me on the ship. The rats there were kind, though they had to watch out for the humans' cats. Mother told me all about Father, how brave, strong, and kind he was. Then, she told me that I had to leave the ship and swim back to the jungle. It was hard to say good-bye, since she was too big to fit through the bars of the cage. I left the ship. It was a big ocean. I didn't know if I would make it, especially when a storm hit that sank the ship and killed Mother. The fish, the storks, and the butterflies helped me make it back to the jungle. Mother spoke to me, in the stars."

"Like the Great Kings of the Past?" Simba asked, his eyes wide.

Kimba nodded. "Though, it's the Great Animals of the Past for us," he corrected. "Anyone can appear in the stars, as long as they were good and kind. But…yeah. That's pretty much what happened."

"I'm sorry that happened," Simba murmured. "So, are you king?"

"That's right," Kimba replied. "On a change of subject, do you guys want me to show you the jungle?"

"Yes!" Simba replied happily, jumping up. Nala just grinned widely.

"Then let's go," Kimba told them, and they padded deeper into the jungle.

**Author's Note: **_Poor Kimba. The chapters get longer; by the way, this one and Chapter 3 are probably the shortest you're going to get._

_Kimba Episodes Referenced:_

"_Go, White Lion!"_

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	3. That's Not Scar

**Author's Note:** _And now for Chapter 3! We'll let Kimba and Simba have a little break with this one. It's probably going to be the shortest chapter you'll ever get from this story. And thanks for the reviews!_

_Kate: About Mufasa adopting Kimba, I was actually considering that. You'll se what happens later, though._

_Ed's dialogue is in italics because while he speaks gibberish, Shenzi and Banzai will know what he's saying. Somehow, they can understand "Ed Language."_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Kimba the White Lion, or the Lion King._

**Chapter 3**

Meanwhile, in the Elephant Graveyard, three rather thin hyenas, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed, were loping aimlessly around.

"Scar hasn't given us any food for days," Banzai complained.

"I know, right?" Shenzi agreed, flicking her tail. "It's as if he forgot about us."

"Either that, or he gave in to his lion instincts and decided to stop feeding us," Banzai grumbled pessimistically.

"Well, let's hope he didn't," Shenzi replied. "What do you think, Ed?"

Ed, who couldn't really talk, responded with a grunt much different than his usual bouts of crazy laughter.

Banzai nodded at Ed. "That sums up exactly what I think."

"And what I think," Shenzi added, scraping her front claws in the ground, unearthing a bone, and eating it before the other two could even open their mouths. "Hardly any marrow," she grumbled. "And no taste left. You boys ain't missin' anything, don't worry."

Banzai stretched out his front legs. "Man, I'm so hungry I can eat an entire elephant!"

"I can eat two," Shenzi countered.

Ed yipped, obviously trying to say, _"And I can eat three."_

The three of them sat in silence for a while.

"I have an idea," Banzai suddenly piped up.

"Should I be scared?" Shenzi asked. Ed giggled briefly, then sank back into a rather gloomy mood. Banzai glared at both of them.

"No," he replied crossly. "But…perhaps we can show Scar _exactly_ what we think of him."

"And that would be…?" Shenzi interrupted.

Banzai smirked. "How 'bout we drop a bunch of rocks on him?"

"Ooh, now you're talking!" Shenzi exclaimed. "Great idea, why didn't I think of that? How 'bout we gather the rocks right away!"

Banzai nodded enthusiastically, while Ed grinned his signature crazy grin.

After a while, the three of them gathered a bunch of boulders and pebbles alike. Shenzi had gotten most of the good-sized rocks.

"This—had—better—be—worth it!" Banzai grumbled when he added a rather large boulder to the pile and leaned against it, exhausted.

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy!" Shenzi retorted. "It was your idea, anyway!"

Ed yipped. His message was clear: _"Scar's coming! We'd better drop these rocks on him right now!"_

"He's right," Shenzi remarked. "On three…" The trio got ready to push the rocks off the hill and onto Scar. "Ready? One…two…THREE!"

With that, the three of them pushed the rock pile down the hill they were on.

"Yes!" Shenzi cried before the dust settled. "We showed Scar that hyenas ain't so dumb after all!"

"Uh, Shenzi?" Banzai asked nervously.

"What?" Shenzi snapped.

Banzai flicked his paw towards the middle of the rock pile, where a feline shape was clawing its way out. "That's not Scar…"

Shenzi gulped. "That's not Scar," she agreed.

When the dust cleared, they could identify the feline's species. It was a black panther. He studied the three of them with cold, yellow eyes.

"Which of you came up with that idea?" the panther snarled deviously, looking at all three nervous hyenas.

Shenzi and Ed immediately snapped their heads towards Banzai.

"Uh, um…" Banzai stuttered, then quickly looked at Ed.

The panther growled, and without warning, sprang at the hyenas. Shenzi and Banzai screamed, while Ed yelped, frantically trying to get out of the way. Then, the three of them ran as fast as they could, with the panther hot on their heels.

"At least we have one advantage," Shenzi muttered.

"What?" Banzai demanded.

"We know this place," Shenzi replied calmly. "He doesn't." The trio scrambled over a pile of small bones, while the panther cleared it easily in one bound.

"SCATTER!" Shenzi howled, and Banzai and Ed ran in separate directions. After a while, they and Shenzi met in an elephant skull, panting.

"Did we lose him?" Banzai panted.

"Think so," Shenzi replied.

Ed shook his head, and flicked his paw outside the skull. The panther was there, lashing his tail. He couldn't see the hyenas, but he was obviously looking for them.

"Shush," Shenzi whispered, but Banzai had other ideas.

"HEY, YOU!" he shouted. Immediately, the panther whipped around, unsheathed his claws, and sprang towards the elephant skull.

Shenzi gulped. "We're trapped."

Ed growled at Banzai. _"Nice one, smarty."_

The panther advanced on them, snarling fiercely. Just as he raised his paw, a voice from out in the distance roared, "Cassius!"

The panther lowered his paw and rolled his eyes. "Coming, Boss!" he yowled back, and streaked off. Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed looked at each other, hardly daring to believe their luck.

"That was scary," Banzai whispered, his eyes wide.

"Made Scar seem like a nice guy," Shenzi agreed.

_"Made US seem like nice guys,"_ Ed added.

"Let's go find Scar," Shenzi murmured. "Then, he can tell us what _that_ was all about. Panthers don't even come here, unless they're either really dense or looking for something!"

**Author's Note: **_And, thus, the action starts to heat up, slightly. I don't know how Banzai would be able to think Cassius was Scar, seeing as they look nothing alike. Oh, well. He's Banzai, after all._

_Another thing: Throughout the story, I will make a list of KTWL episodes referenced. I don't know exactly why; it's just fun._

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	4. The Plan

**Author's Note:** _Again, thanks to all who reviewed this story! Your comments are appreciated!_

_And now for Chapter Four. Midway through, this one switches P.O.V's._

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Lion King or Kimba the White Lion._

**Chapter 4**

Meanwhile, the panther, called Cassius, had heard his boss, a lion named Claw who looked something like Scar calling him. "What does Boss Claw want now?" he grumbled to himself as he bounded to the sound of Claw's voice.

When he reached Claw, the lion immediately asked, "Did you manage to find a good prison in that place?"

Cassius shook his head. "Only a couple of annoying hyenas."

Claw sighed. "Why did Kimba have to destroy our last prison? It was perfect, until we threw _him_ into it!"

"Well, why didn't you just kill him and Gypsy, the one who told him about the boiling lake while we had them hostage, instead of throwing him into the prison?" Cassius asked.

"A question I ask myself all the time, believe me," Claw replied.

"I guess Gypsy's Purple Potion didn't work after all!" Tom, a hyena chimed in.

"Yeah, didn't work!" another hyena, Tab, repeated. Both hyenas were henchmen of Claw.

"It would have worked IF YOU TWO WEREN'T SO STUPID!" Claw and Cassius roared simultaneously, referring to the time when Gypsy, an old and clever she-owl, tricked Tom and Tab into giving Kimba the antidote for the poison. Tom and Tab yelped, clutched each other, and leapt a few feet into the air.

"What to do next…" Claw muttered. "Taking over the jungle isn't easy, and we learned that the hard way. We did almost everything possible. Fighting, trickery, gossiping, more fighting, poisoning, rebellion, deception, trapping, taking hostages, and more fighting!"

"Well," Cassius replied. "There is something."

"What?" Claw demanded. Cassius leaned over and whispered something into Claw's ear. Tom and Tab tried to eavesdrop.

"We made plenty of those," Claw replied dismissively. "And they never worked. The little rat always ended up thwarting us."

"That's because they never lasted long," Cassius commented. "Everyone was too loyal to Kimba. But, have we ever tried _outside_ help?"

"Yeah," Claw retorted. "Specklerex. Gypsy. Tuskar Hippo. The Black Four. The crows. Remember them?"

Cassius opened his mouth to say that the plan with Tuskar only failed because of Claw's own feelings, but he didn't say that. Instead, he muttered, "But still. What if we made a deal with someone? Someone who wants to become ruler of his or her own land. Perhaps we can tell them that if they help us get rid of our adversary, we can help them get rid of their opponent?"

Claw's face lit up. "Now, that's more like it!"

"Foolproof!" Tom and Tab yelled at the same time.

"The problem is, though," Cassius continued, frowning. "Do any of you know any other animals who want to take over the land in which they live in?"

"Well," Claw replied. "We'll just have to find one, then."

"How the heck did you manage to make that?"

"I want one in the Pridelands!"

"Can you teach _us_ how to make one?"

Those were the kind of reactions Kimba was getting when he showed Simba and Nala around the jungle. Right now, they were at the school.

"Right now, it's Saturday, so there's no school today," Kimba explained. "But during weekdays, all the young animals get together and we learn stuff, like how to read and write."

"Cool!" Simba exclaimed.

"Hey, can we meet some of your friends here in the jungle?" Nala asked.

"Sure," Kimba replied, grinning. "In fact—" He didn't have time to finish his sentence before three cubs jumped on top of him. One was a serval, another was a caracal, and the third was a cheetah.

"Hello, Kimba," the caracal sneered. "It's time for us to rule this jungle."

"Yes, time for us!" the serval bellowed. "I am Claw, a big, bad killing machine with anger issues!"

"I'm Cassius," the caracal added. "Good luck getting past me!"

"Herp derp, I'm Tom and Tab, and I'm an idiot!" the cheetah exclaimed.

"And Kimba," the serval growled, "Don't give us any of your peace talk. We don't want to hear it."

"Peace?" the caracal asked. "What is this 'peace' you speak of?"

The serval shrugged. "I don't know! What is peace? I've never heard of it!"

"I don't know what peace is, either!" the caracal replied.

"I don't know anything, derp," the cheetah chimed in.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kimba saw Simba and Nala looking at the trio with wide eyes. Kimba himself started laughing hysterically.

"All right, guys, enough with the theatrics," he told the trio. "I've got guests with me."

"Are they really like that?" Nala asked.

Kimba shook his head. "No, they're just acting. Simba and Nala, these are Dot, Dash, and Dinky. Dot, Dash, and Dinky, these guys here are Simba and Nala."

"How do you do?" the serval asked, smiling. "I'm Dot."

"I'm Dinky," the caracal added. "Nice to meet you two."

"I'm Dash!" the cheetah announced. His fur was a shade of ocean blue. "And I'm ready to make a conversation twenty percent cooler in ten seconds flat!"

"How, by blowing on us for ten seconds after eating mint leaves?" Dot asked, snorting. Everyone, including Dash, laughed.

"Speaking of mint leaves," Dinky meowed. "Let's go to the restaurant, I'm starving."

"Same here!" Dot and Dash chorused.

"Do you guys want to see the restaurant?" Kimba asked, looking at Simba and Nala.

"Sure!" Simba replied excitedly.

"What he said," Nala added, flicking her tail at Simba.

"Come on!" Dash invited them. "There's juicy mint leaves, there's elephant grass, there's the recently added Meat Substitute for Carnivores—"

"Wait," Simba interrupted. "Did you say _Meat Substitute for Carnivores?_"

Dash nodded. "Yeah, it's made of tickle-chickle pollen and a bunch of other plants. But it tastes like meat! It's delicious! And Professor Calvin Hottage gave Dan'l Baboon the recipe—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Simba interrupted again. "Professor _Who_? Gave who the _what?_"

"Oh, I forgot, you weren't there," Dash replied. "So, the members of the cat family were unhappy that Kimba wanted everyone to be vegetarians. So, they, led by Claw and another lion named Uncle Beetle, revolted against Kimba. Claw and his stooges taught all the young animals, including me, to like the taste of meat. I don't blame the way the carnivores felt; meat does taste great. But, I was forced to try it." He started to imitate a low, devious voice that Kimba recognized as Cassius's voice: "_Take one bite, or I will take one bite of you!_" Then, he switched back to his normal voice.

"Coincidentally, while all that was happening, a man named Calvin Hottage came to the jungle, looking for the tickle-chickle tree. That was the last ingredient he needed in order to make a meat substitute. Kimba stopped the revolt just in time, and told everyone of Hottage's intentions. All of us searched for pollen, but none of us found any, until Kimba found some on my leg. It turns out I had gotten it after treating the Turtle…a little roughly."

"A little?" Dot asked, raising her eyebrows.

Dash sighed. "Pretty roughly. Anyway, the Turtle led Kimba to the tickle-chickle tree, and Hottage let us carnivores try his meat substitute. It tasted just like the real thing, too! Even Claw liked it—well, only a little. Then, Hottage gave Dan'l Baboon—that's the owner of the restaurant and the elder of the jungle—the recipe, and now we can all enjoy it whenever we want."

"Can we try some?" Nala asked.

"Why not?" Kimba stated. "Come on, the restaurant's this way." Dot, Dash, and Dinky were already bounding off towards the restaurant. Kimba, Simba, and Nala followed.

It was just as beautiful as everything else. It was a couple floors of wood, each wrapped around a large, lush baobab tree. The wood was held in place by a few logs, and the outside was decorated with leaves.

"Hello, Kimba!" A very old mandrill baboon stood at the front of the restaurant.

"Hello, Dan'l!" Kimba called back. "I have guests with me." He led Simba and Nala to a table made out of a tree stump. "Dan'l, meet Simba and Nala. Simba, Nala, this is my good friend Dan'l Baboon."

"How do you do, youngsters?" Dan'l asked.

"Good," Nala replied, beaming.

"Me too!" Simba added.

Suddenly, something small, green, and feathery collided with Kimba.

"Whoa!" Simba shouted. "What is that?"

The small, green, and feathery thing revealed itself to be a parrot.

"Kimba!" the parrot squawked. "Bucky and I have been looking for you! There are two new lion cubs in the jungle! In fact—" He glanced at Simba and Nala. "That's them! Those are the two lion cubs that are visiting the jungle!"

"Hi, Pauley Cracker," Kimba replied. "That's Simba and Nala over there. I was just showing them around the jungle."

"And we got hungry," Dinky piped up from the table next to them.

"Speaking of which, I need to take the orders of all six of you," Dan'l pointed out. "What would you like?"

"Whatever today's special is," Kimba replied. "I'm feeling flexible. And Simba and Nala want some Meat Substitute."

Simba and Nala nodded in agreement.

"I'd like some mint leaves," Dash meowed. Nala snorted, apparently remembering what Dot said earlier.

"Meat Substitute with elephant grass on the side," Dot added.

"Grasshoppers," Dinky mewed simply, shrugging.

"I'll have that ready in a few minutes," Dan'l told them all, and he walked off into the baobab tree.

"What's going on?" A Grant's gazelle was cantering towards them, huffing and puffing. Pauley flew over to him.

"There you are, you big dodo! I was worried when I didn't see you coming!"

"You were too fast," the gazelle stated.

"That's Bucky," Kimba told Simba and Nala. "He's another good friend of mine."

"And I suspect you're Simba and Nala!" Bucky apparently heard Kimba. "Word gets around fast. You two are the talk of the jungle."

"We are?" Simba asked, surprised.

Bucky nodded. "Yeah."

"I've got six orders here!" Dan'l had returned with everyone's orders. "Meat Substitute for Simba and Nala, Mango Leaves for Kimba, Meat Sub with elephant grass for Dot, Mint leaves for Dash, and Grasshoppers for Dinky."

"Thank you," Kimba replied, taking his dish. "So this is the special?"

Dan'l nodded. "Yes, you chose the day you order the special to be the day in which the special is one of your favorites!"

Dash was already inhaling his leaves. "They're so cold, I feel like my throat is freezing up."

"Ugh, I'm full," Dinky groaned, leaning on the table.

"Already?" Dot asked, surprised. "I only just started eating!"

"Spicy…" Dash muttered. "Sp-spicy!"

Simba tasted the Meat Sub. "It's great!" he cried. Nala nodded in agreement, her mouth full.

"I thought you'd like it," Kimba told them, smiling.

"Hey! Wait! That reminds me!" Pauley suddenly yelled. "We came because there's someone here to see you! And this time, we're not talking about Simba or Nala!"

"Hi, Kimba!" A young lioness padded out of the bushes.

**Author's Note:** _Ah, the dreaded cliffhanger! I'm pretty sure you can all tell who that is._

_As for Dot, Dash, and Dinky, I took a guess at what their species was. For Dash, it was confirmed he was a cheetah, especially in Episode 46 ("The Return of Fancy Prancy"). But how could he NOT be a cheetah, with a name like Dash? Speaking of Dash, does he remind any of you of someone else who is blue and fast?_

_Dinky, meanwhile, looked somewhat canine, though I assumed that he, like his friends, was feline. He had no spots, meaning he could either be a caracal, a lion, or an African Golden Cat. But with those pointy, tufted ears of his, and his short, though undoubtedly feline tail, made me almost certain he was a caracal._

_Dot's species was the hardest to guess, and I'm still uncertain. She looks like a bobcat, but as anyone knows, there are no bobcats in Africa. So, I chose the closest thing in appearance to a bobcat: A serval. She might also have some cheetah in her._

_Claw, Cassius, Tom, and Tab are obviously up to something. Actually, their side of the story is happening at the same time as Kimba and Simba's, so it might take them a while to catch up to what's happening with the jungle cubs. So, if in one chapter we're with Kimba and Simba, and it seemed like our villains were doing something completely different than that they were doing a few minutes ago, it's because Kimba and Simba are actually ahead of them, as far as the story goes. They'll catch up, though._

_We also got to meet some of Kimba's friends and advisors. Don't worry; Simba's friends will have their chance to shine later._

_Kimba Episodes Referenced:_

_Gypsy's Purple Potion_

_Journey Through Time_

_Legend of Hippo Valley_

_The Pretenders_

_Jungle Fun_

_A Revolting Development_

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	5. The Friends of Kimba and Simba

**Author's Note:** _Again, thanks for reviewing. No, I will not be writing Kimba and Simba as adults. However, I am thinking about writing a sequel starring Kovu, Kiara, Vitani, Rune, and Rukio as adults. Kimba, based on canon, would be long dead by then. However, Simba will play a minor role in the story, and yes, he'll be an adult._

_And now for Chapter 5!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Lion King or Kimba the White Lion._

**Chapter 5**

"Kitty!" Kimba cried, joyfully bounding towards the new lioness. She was about Simba's age, and, as Simba couldn't help noticing, quite pretty. As for Kimba, he overshot his last bound, sending him sailing over Kitty and headfirst into a bush. When he popped out, his face was bright red, and he, along with everyone else, started laughing hysterically.

"Are you all right?" Kitty asked.

"Sure," Kimba replied. "Kitty, these are my new friends, Simba and Nala. I met them today."

"How do you do?" Simba asked. "I presume your name's Kitty, 'cause that's what Kimba yelled when he saw you."

Kitty nodded, smiling. "Yeah, that's my name."

"How's your uncle Specklerex doing?" Dot asked, getting up from the table and making her way towards Kitty. Dash and Dinky followed.

"He's fine, he's fine!" Kitty replied.

"Are you finished?" Dan'l called from the restaurant.

"Yeah!" Dot, Dinky, and Dash yelled in unison. Dan'l strode back to the hollow baobab tree with the now empty palm leaves.

This was followed by a somewhat awkward silence, which was broken by Dash shouting, "Last one up the tree by the Dirt Road is a pussycat!" Instantly, the seven of them tore off. Simba and Nala just followed Kimba, not knowing where the Dirt Road or the tree in which they were referring to was.

Predictably, Dash reached the tree first, and raced up it. It was a large, bare acacia with a huge trunk, lots of branches, and lots of shade. Kitty and Dinky tied for second place, followed by Dot. Simba gave a burst of speed, and reached the tree next. Last were Nala and Kimba. Nala was falling behind, so Kimba slowed down to let her catch up and beat him. Simba felt a flicker of jealousy, but pushed it aside when he reminded himself that Kimba was most likely the type who would do that for anyone. In fact, the jealousy completely evaporated when Dinky yelled, "Come on, Kimba! You're always doing that!"

"Yeah, give us a real challenge!" Dot added.

"Nala's just a beginner," Simba defended both Nala and Kimba. Nala nodded gratefully at both Simba and Kimba, but when she reached Simba, she whispered, "Actually, I only slowed down to let you beat me." She smirked playfully.

"Hey!" Simba protested. Dash, who was within earshot of Nala's comment, let out a guffaw of laughter.

"Let's play our favorite game!" Dinky crowed. "Last one to fall is the winner!"

"How do you play?" Simba asked curiously. The other Pridelands cubs never came up with any games like that, especially since there were hardly any trees in the area.

"Last one to fall off the tree is the winner," Dinky repeated, smirking. "And someone shakes the tree. Usually, we let one of the chimps do it, but they're not here right now."

"I'll do it!" Kitty volunteered, padding towards the trunk. "Ready, and…go!"

"One, two, three!" everyone chanted when Kitty pounded on the branch with her hind legs, causing it to shake up and down. "Shake the tree! All fall down—except me! One, two, three! Shake the tree!"

"Not again!" Dash cried as he fell down first. Nala lost her grip, but quickly hung on to Dinky's tail. The caracal let out a howl of pain, startling Dot, who complained, "Dinky made me fall!" as she landed on top of Dash. Nala sent both she and Dinky falling, and Kitty quickly slipped off next.

"I guess you and I are both winners, Simba," Kimba commented.

"Maybe…" Simba smirked, and started pounding the branch with his hind paws. Startled, Kimba slipped off, and landed on the top of the pile below.

"I won!" Simba crowed.

"You're good for your first time!" Dot remarked, as the cubs got off each other. Dash was stuck in a hole. Kimba pulled him out.

"Thanks, Kimba," the cheetah muttered. "Brings me back to those ants!"

"Well, there aren't any ants," Kimba replied, smiling.

"One time, this massive colony of ants attacked the jungle, and Kimba had to save Dash," Dot explained, seeing the confused looks on Simba and Nala's faces.

"What do you guys want to do next?" Kitty asked.

Simba climbed down from the tree. "I don't know," he replied. "What about you?"

"How 'bout I show you where I live?" Kimba suggested.

"Sure!" Nala replied, and she, Simba, Dot, Dash, Dinky, and Kitty followed the white lion to what looked like a huge pile of thorny sticks.

"Is that your home?" Simba asked.

Kimba nodded. "Come on in," he invited them.

Kimba's lair looked extremely cozy, and the air inside was extremely pleasant, as if all the hospitality in the world has condensed into this one den. It was also quite roomy inside, and seven cubs easily fit in with plenty of space to move around. And there, in the corner…

"Is that your father's hide?" Simba gasped.

Kimba nodded. "Indeed. My friends had taken it from the nearby village. At first I though they were playing some sort of trick on me, but they helped me big time with this. My friends are very brave. I'm sure my father was proud of them, too, back when he was alive."

"Are we brave?" Simba asked.

"Everyone's brave in some way," Kimba replied. "And at times, it doesn't show right away. But it's definitely there, and it will make itself known when the time comes."

This slightly reassured Simba. At least _someone_ thought he was brave.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Meanwhile, the cubs back at Pride Rock had awoken much before the adults.

"Rise and shiiiinnneeee!" Chumvi sang, pouncing on Malka. The latter let out a sharp squeal, and then glared at his darker-colored friend.

"Honestly, Chumvi?" Malka groaned. "You couldn't have been less annoying?"

"All in good fun," Chumvi replied, smiling.

"What's going on?" Tojo asked, padding to the conversing cubs. Three blue birds trailed behind the ochre-colored cub.

Malka yawned. "This beetle-brain, lemme tell you that."

The remaining two lionesses of Simba's gang had awoken later than Chumvi, Malka, and Tojo.

"Where's Simba?" Kula immediately asked. "Normally, he's the first one up."

"And then he wakes _us_ up," Tama added.

"You know, I've been wondering about that," Malka replied. "Where _is_ Simba?"

"I don't see Nala, either," Tojo chimed in, looking around Pride Rock.

"Something is _definitely_ up," Chumvi guessed.

"Should we tell Sarabi and Sarafina?" Kula asked, worried.

Chumvi shook his head. "Nah, Zazu will tell them soon enough."

As if on cue, the blue hornbill came flying in frantically, squawking, "Sire! Sire! I can't find Simba or Nala anywhere!"

"Find them!" Mufasa roared, waking up instantly. Sarabi had a worried look on her face.

"Oh, no, what if the hyenas took my son?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't think those mangy poachers would be able to penetrate the walls of Pride Rock without us knowing," Zira chimed in, sounding bored.

"Then what happened to them?" Sarabi demanded. "We're talking about my son!"

"And my daughter," Sarafina added.

"Don't worry, we'll find them," Mufasa tried to reassure the lionesses, resting his tail on Sarabi's shoulders.

"We'll help!" Chumvi declared.

"These are our friends we're talking about here!" Kula added.

"Yeah!" Tojo said. "No mangy mutt can kidnap our friends!" The bluebirds behind him twittered in agreement.

"Or else they have to go through us!" Malka added.

"Right!" Tama agreed. "All in favor of helping the lionesses find Simba and Nala, say 'I!'"

"I!" chorused Malka, Kula, Tojo, and Chumvi.

"Thanks, you five," Sarabi murmured. "Oh, I just hope they're okay."

**Author's Note: **_I told you Simba's friends would have their chance to shine. But no, Mheetu is not going to appear in this. And Kitty arrives! I'm a full Kimba/Kitty supporter, as well as Simba/Nala._

_Kimba Episodes Referenced:_

_The Return of Fancy Prancy_

_Great Caesar's Ghost_

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	6. Pinned!

**Author's Note: **_And chapter 6! This time, the action really starts to heat up. Thanks to all who reviewed!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the Lion King or Kimba the White Lion._

**Chapter 6**

Soon after Kimba showed Simba Caesar's hide, the cubs began to split up.

"I know a beautiful spot we can go to with lots of flowers," Kitty said. "Are you interested in coming with me, Nala?"

"Oh, sure!" Nala replied. "Sounds fun! Ha, Tama will probably be jealous."

"Well, come on!" Kitty responded, smiling. With that, the two lionesses bounded off, leaving Kimba, Simba, Dot, Dash, and Dinky behind them.

"Bor-_ing_," Dinky muttered. "Hey, guys, want to go to the amusement park?"

"I will if you will!" Dot replied, Dash nodding enthusiastically in agreement.

"Bye, guys!" Kimba said, as the trio sped off, chattering all the way.

Simba suddenly gasped. "Oh no!" he whispered.

"What?" Kimba asked.

"I'd forgotten all about my parents!" Simba fretted. "Darn, and I'm supposed to be grounded, too! For an occasion similar to this one! Except our destination then wasn't nearly as amazing as this one. And we didn't make any new friends, only enemies."

"Hmm." Kimba seemed deep in thought. "Hey, you can show me your home!"

"I'd love to!" Simba replied. "But what about Nala?"

"Let's go find them," Kimba replied. Together, the two of them started to follow the same path Kitty and Nala did. However, they were stopped in their tracks when they heard voices.

"I'm telling you, Banzai, we're lost!"

"Hey, it wasn't me who came up with this idea!"

"Oh, and I suppose the rocks weren't your idea, either?"

"That was different, Shenzi!"

"Yeah, and did you see where that got us? Now your stupid declaration that Scar was this way was wrong, 'cause I'm telling you, that lion wasn't Scar! And now we're lost!"

Hysterical laughter followed.

"Oh, shut up, Ed!"

Simba's eyes widened. "Oh, no…it's those three!"

"Who?" Kimba inquired.

Simba did not need to reply. Three hyenas came loping into view. Two of them were arguing, and the third had a rather stupid expression on his face.

"These three tried to eat me and Nala when we went to the Elephant Graveyard," Simba explained quietly.

"Well, they won't be eating anybody this time," Kimba vowed quietly.

The stupid-looking hyena suddenly spotted the two cubs, and started jabbering at them excitedly, nudging the other two.

"What is it, Ed?" one of the arguing hyenas, a female, snarled.

The other hyena, another male, had also spotted the two cubs, and grinned at Simba. "Hey, Shenzi, look who it is…"

Shenzi finally saw what the two males were indicating. She smirked. "Excellent. Looks like we're eating well today."

"You won't be allowed to eat anyone, you bullies!" Kimba snarled.

One of the males, Banzai, let out a loud whoop of laughter. "Look at him. He thinks he's so brave!"

"He's a white lion," Shenzi observed. "Great, I was craving for some white meat!"

"I want the future king!" Banzai declared, nodding at Simba. Ed laughed hysterically.

"I don't want to fight you," Kimba said, noticing Simba shaking behind him. "But if you pick on my friends and me, then of course I'll fight!"

"The white lion's mine!" Shenzi declared, ready to pounce on Kimba. Then, the white lion let out a loud "_Raaarr!_" and pounced on his assailant. Shenzi let out a yelp of surprise, and the two of them tumbled around, fighting. It looked like Kimba was a really skilled fighter, and exceptionally brave.

_I'm brave, too,_ Simba thought, looking at Banzai, who was circling around the fight. "You need help, there—AAAHHHH!"

Simba had pounced on Banzai's back, and dug his needle-sharp claws into the hyena, who was flailing around, wailing, "Get 'im off! Get 'im off!" Ed was laughing hysterically at his cohorts, both of whom were being beaten by their opponents.

"SCAT!" the two lion cubs yowled at the same time, sending all three hyenas fleeing. Shenzi and Banzai were arguing with each other again, their voices growing fainter and fainter until they finally disappeared.

"That'll teach them," Kimba mused.

Simba gaped at him. "Can you teach me to fight like that?" he pleaded. "You're really good at it!"

"It's really simple," Kimba replied modestly. "Nothing special."

"Nothing special?" Simba breathed. "You've got some really good fighting moves! And look at me; I'm always beaten by Nala! I almost got eaten by hyenas!"

"Well, I guess I can teach you some basics for self-defense—" Kimba started, but was broken off by a great whoop of joy from Simba.

"Oh boy, oh boy! Wait 'till everyone sees how good I'll be!"

"Okay." Kimba stepped back slightly. "Attack me."

"_What?_"

"Attack me," Kimba repeated. "I need to know your fighting style."

Simba leaped for Kimba. The two rolled around, until Kimba had Simba pinned.

"Great," Simba muttered. "Make that two cubs who can easily pin me."

"You're relying on strength alone," Kimba replied, stepping off him. "Let me tell you something a good friend of mine once told me, about a fish named Aeslop the Smart."

"Aeslop the Smart?" Simba asked.

Kimba nodded. "Once, in what was once an island called Volcano island, there was a river, and in the river was a great beast called Goblin. He terrorized the fish and ate them, one by one, until one fish named Aeslop the Smart set out to defeat Goblin. And believe it or not, he defeated Goblin, even though the monster was twenty times his size!"

"How did he beat Goblin?" Simba inquired. "Goblin sounds awfully big to me."

"Aeslop used his smarts to defeat the monster," Kimba explained. "That's how I can beat opponents such as Boss Rhino."

"You beat a _rhino?_" Simba choked.

Kimba nodded. "If you use brains rather than brawn, it can prove very effective. Let's see you try it. I'll pretend to be one of my old enemies, a bad lion named Claw. He hardly ever uses smarts."

This went on for hours. Eventually, Simba started getting better and better. Then, suddenly…

"You pinned me!" Kimba cried, as Simba went on top of him.

"I did?" Simba asked, dazed. "Well, then…" he imitated Nala's voice. "Pinned ya!"

Kimba laughed. "Hey, lemme up!" Simba stepped off of him, and then muttered, "I won. I actually won! And my friends say I'm the worst fighter of the group!"

"You're pretty good, actually!" Kimba countered.

"Let's show Nala!" Simba suggested, but was stopped in his tracks when Pauley Cracker suddenly came flying towards the duo.

"Kimba! KIIIIMMMMBBBBAAAA!"

"What, Pauley?" Kimba responded.

"Danger—danger!" Pauley panted, desperately flapping his wings. "Human—human beings! And they look like they're hunters, too!"

"Well, then let's go!" Kimba roared, streaking off in the direction of the hunting party mentioned. Simba followed closely behind, wondering what a human was.

**Author's Note: **_And the dreaded cliffhanger strikes again! Those two certainly have a lot on their plates._

_As for the Kimba vs. Shenzi fight, I was imagining one of those dust clouds to pop up, like the ones that always show up in a fight in a typical Kimba episode. Hehe, I always wondered what would happen if those three met Kimba._

_Kimba Episodes Referenced:_

_Volcano Island_

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	7. Eight Sets of Paws are Better than Four

**Author's Note: **_So, here's Chapter 7! My updating on this story is going to start getting a little slower. I've had some chapters already written, but later chapters I'm still working on, and it can take me a while to finish them. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!_

_Disclaimer: I own nothing but the jackal._

**Chapter 7**

Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, a lion stood atop a large bull elephant skull looking over the Pridelands on one side and the jungle on the other.

"_And the future king will be…Mufasa!"_

Oh, how the lion _despised_ that sentence.

He stretched out, and padded down the cliff. His henchmen would no doubt appear soon. But, they didn't. Perhaps Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed had gotten lost. Again.

Scar noticed a small jackal nearby, gnawing on an old bone. He wondered what had gotten into the little canine. Jackals, unlike hyenas, were allowed in the Pridelands, so he didn't understand what one was doing in the Elephant Graveyard.

"You there!" he suddenly roared, startling the jackal out of her wits.

"Y-yes?" the jackal whimpered, looking up at Scar with fear in her brown eyes.

"Have you seen any hyenas?" Scar demanded.

"H-hyenas?" the jackal repeated. Scar nodded.

"You know…those spotted creatures that look like canines but aren't…the ones who laugh for no reason…the ones lower than even you puny jackals…"

"I know what hyenas are," the jackal mumbled.

"What was that?" Scar snarled.

"N-nothing!" the jackal gulped. "B-but I did see some earlier…they went that way." She flicked her tail towards the direction of the jungle.

Scar rolled his eyes. "I knew they'd gotten lost," he muttered, looking towards the jungle. The clattering of bones told Scar that the jackal had made a speedy getaway before he could turn around. He didn't go after the canine; he had more important matters to pursue.

After a while going in the direction the jackal had mentioned, he started to pick up the telltale scent of hyenas. There were definitely some nearby, and even if they weren't Shenzi, Banzai, or Ed, they would most likely be members of Shenzi's clan. Suddenly, Scar started hearing voices, and they sounded close.

"No, I told you, Boss is back there! We left him a _minute_ ago!"

"But I can see him right up ahead!"

"Yeah, right up ahead!"

Scar didn't recognize these voices. However, he couldn't possibly remember the voices of about eighty hyenas from Shenzi's clan. He climbed up a hill of bones, and found himself face-to-face with two of the oddest hyenas he'd ever seen in his life. Both were standing upright, with coordination comparable to the mandrill-baboon Rafiki. One was much taller than the other. And, to Scar's utter amazement, a black panther was trailing behind him. There were no doubt these were _definitely_ not members of Shenzi's clan.

"Hello, Boss!" the taller hyena greeted him.

"Yeah, hello!" the shorter hyena repeated.

"Excuse me," the black panther snarled, his voice as cold as ice. "But I believe that is _not_ Claw." Turning to Scar, he added, "Please excuse my compatriots; when it comes to intelligence, they end up on the rather dim side."

"Tell me about it," Scar muttered, thinking of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.

"But you do kind of look like Claw," the panther continued. He paused, looking at Scar up and down. "Are you sure you aren't related in some way?"

"I am fairly certain there is no lion on my family tree with the name of Claw," Scar replied coldly.

"So that's not Boss?" the taller hyena inquired, looking at the panther, who shook his head.

"You thought wrong…as always."

"Quite alright, _quite_ alright," Scar replied, sneering slightly. "I'm Scar."

"Cassius is the name," the panther snarled. "These two idiots are called Tom and Tab."

"What are you three up to?" a voice growled from behind the newcomers. A lion padded into view, and Scar could instantly see why the hyenas had them confused. The resemblance, from the colors right down to the scar on the left eye, was extremely striking. Tom and Tab gaped as they looked from lion to lion in amazement.

"Hello, Boss," Cassius said. "Tom and Tab just had you confused with this one, that's all."

"Well, obviously I'm not him, am I?" the lion, probably Claw, snarled to the hyenas. Cassius gave them a smug grin.

"I'm assuming you're Claw?" Scar assumed.

Claw nodded. "I assume these three blabbed about how much we look alike," he commented, ignoring Cassius's outraged snarl of "_Three?_ What do you mean, _three?_"

"Anyway," Claw continued. "Who in the world are _you?_"

"I'm Scar," Scar replied. "And I was just looking for three hyenas by the names of—" he paused. "That jackal!" he snarled. "She probably thought I just meant any hyena!" Turning to Claw, he explained, "I was looking for three hyenas, named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. I asked this jackal if she'd seen any hyenas, and I'm assuming she thought I meant _any_ hyenas, so she led me straight to you four. Speaking of which, have you seen Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed? Shenzi's the leader, and she's got these wacky-looking bangs. Banzai looks normal, except for these weird eyebrows, and Ed…he's the stupidest of the lot, and he's got this really odd expression on his face. Seen any of them?"

Claw shook his head. "The only hyenas I've seen are these two."

Cassius, however, suddenly had a moment of realization. "I've seen them!" he gasped. Then, he snarled. "They dumped rocks on my head." Tom and Tab let out high-pitched giggles, but stopped when Cassius slapped them both with one swipe.

"Oh, they did?" Scar asked, slightly amused. "Sounds just like them."

Suddenly, an enormous yelp of pain and fear was heard from the jungle. All five of them snapped their heads towards the noise, and three hyenas came barreling out at full speed. Two of them were arguing, at least, until all three crashed into Scar.

"There they are," Scar muttered, as Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed shook themselves off.

"Scar!" Shenzi gasped, panting. "It _is_ you, right? Okay, so Banzai, Ed, and I were looking for you, then all of a sudden…" She paused, noticing Cassius. Both stared at each other, then, at the same time, exclaimed "YOU!"

Banzai grinned sheepishly as both Cassius and Shenzi glared at him. "Heh heh…oops…"

Shenzi turned back to Scar. "Anyway, we saw Simba again. We went to confront him…"

"But there was this psychopath white lion with him!" Banzai continued. "It attacked us, and we couldn't stand up to it!"

"Excuses, excuses," Scar drawled, angered that they had failed, once again, to catch Simba. "There's no such thing as a white lion, idiot!"

"Wait!" Claw interrupted. "Did you say _white lion_?"

Instantly, Shenzi and Banzai turned towards Claw.

"It attacked us!"

"It was about fifty feet tall!"

"No, it was only about yay big!"

"Had these big blue eyes and dripping fangs…"

"Actually, it was kind of cute…"

"And it beat us up! And Simba attacked us, too! And man, it was a good fighter!"

"I think," Claw interrupted, before either hyena could speak again, "You have just encountered Kimba. He's the prince of this jungle," he explained to Scar. "Wretched little thing…the only thing keeping me from becoming king of the whole jungle!"

"I can relate," Scar replied. "Simba is the future king of the Pridelands, the only thing keeping me from being next in line to rule. I've been trying to get rid of him over and over, but he somehow keeps evading my traps."

"It's the same with Kimba," Claw sighed. "Nothing I've tried has worked."

"The plan," Cassius suddenly murmured. "We found one!"

"Found one what?" Claw demanded. Cassius whispered something in his ear. Claw grinned wickedly.

"Looks like you have a problem," he commented.

"Problem?" Scar snarled. "What do you mean, problem?"

"Well, Cassius and I have this little idea here, that perhaps if you help us get rid of Kimba, we'll help you get rid of Simba, and you can have the Pridelands, and we'll have the jungle. We'll be joint rulers. What is it that Kimba sometimes says, Cassius?"

"United we stand, divided we fall," Cassius recited, imitating Kimba's voice.

Claw grinned. "Exactly. So, what do you say?"

Scar thought about it for a moment. It could be his only opportunity to catch Simba. The hyena trio was obviously too cowardly to, and Claw and Cassius seemed pretty able. Plus, eight sets of paws were admittedly better than four.

"Deal," Scar replied, smirking.

**Author's Note: **_Uh oh, looks like Claw and Scar are teaming up! Yes, I did poke fun at the fact that the two lions look almost identical._

_The jackal is one of my OCs. She does have a name (Aibus)._

_So, two villainous lions, a panther, and five hyenas…sounds like a formidable army, doesn't it? Add the rest of Shenzi's clan and Cassius's crows, and you've got a problem._

_Reviews are appreciated!_


	8. The Humans

**Author's Note: **_Gah, sorry I haven't updated in a while! I've just been really busy with real life stuff and I could hardly find the motivation to keep writing. I'm really not proud of this chapter; I hope the chapters will be better in the future._

_Disclaimer: I do not own KTWL or TLK._

**Chapter 8**

"Kimba!" Simba panted. "Can you go—a little—slower?"

Kimba was sprinting extremely quickly, and yet, he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"We have to go there as quick as possible!" Kimba replied. "If we waste any time, who knows what the humans will do?"

"What's—a—human?" Simba asked, exhausted, but Kimba kept pressing onward. He looked like he was used to this kind of thing.

_Will I have to do stuff like this when I'm king? _Simba thought. _Is this what it's like to chase hyenas off the Pridelands?_

Suddenly, Kimba skidded to a halt. Simba stopped himself from crashing into the white lion cub just in time. Panting, he laid down, but Kimba seemed on alert. He crawled into a bush, and then poked his head out.

"Follow me," he whispered. "It's safer." Confused, Simba followed Kimba in the bush. When he looked out on the other side, the strangest sight met his eyes. There were four of the strangest creatures Simba had seen in his life. They were all various shades of pinkish-brown, and they stood up, like apes. They were surrounded by odd contraptions. One had a stick lying across his lap.

"Humans," Kimba muttered. "These are humans, Simba. These particular ones come to harm the jungle and the animals in it."

"Are all humans bad?" Simba asked.

Kimba shook his head. "No. Some, like these ones, have harmful intentions. They kill animals, or steal from each other. But there are others who are wise, or brave. They make use of their talents by doing good for others and the environment. One taught us how to read, write, and talk like humans. Now, we teach each other."

"Wow," Simba whispered. "So you can actually talk to them?"

Kimba nodded. "Indeed. But some don't want to be talked to—and I have a feeling these ones fall into that category."

Suddenly, the human with some sort of stick across his lap stood up, pointing his stick at nothing in particular. Suddenly, a great _BANG_ sounded, causing Simba to fall backwards out of the bush, startled. Almost an entire flock of birds took off from the nearest tree to the explosion. One bird dropped out of the air. Simba gasped in horror, while Kimba snarled.

"That goes completely against the Circle of Life!" Simba whispered, horrified, as the human grabbed the bird and carried it to his fellows, who congratulated him.

"Just as I thought," Kimba snarled. "Hunters. They carry big guns—that's that big stick-like thing. And they trap and kill animals, sometimes for the fun of it."

"For the fun of it…?" Simba gaped. "How does anyone think it's fun?"

"Beats me," Kimba replied. "Come on."

The humans had gotten into another contraption, and drove off in it, further into the jungle.

"I'm going to stop them," Kimba declared.

"I'm coming with you," Simba added.

"Well, then, shake a leg!" Kimba responded.

**0o0o0o0o0**

Meanwhile, Kitty and Nala were at a meadow near Kitty's home.

"So, you live in those mountains?" Nala asked.

Kitty nodded. "My uncle Specklerex lives just beyond those hills. He and his tribe are spotted lions, the very last of an ancient breed of lions."

"Spotted lions?" Nala breathed. "Wow, first white lions, now spotted lions! How come you're not spotted?"

"My mother was a normal lioness," Kitty replied. "No spots—though she did have this marking on her forehead like I do. I miss her a lot. She and my father were taken by hunters."

"Just like Kimba's parents," Nala commented.

Kitty nodded. "Some say Kimba and I were meant to be…though I'm not so sure. Kimba's the king of his jungle, and he's probably got a lot of lionesses from higher positions than myself desiring his paw in marriage later in life. I'm just a random girl with no significance…and Specklerex is probably thinking of betrothing me to some random lion when I get older."

"You're not a random girl; not to Kimba, anyway. Did you see how he reacted when you showed up? He's madly in love with you! Though if it makes you feel better, I'm betrothed, too," Nala added. "And to Simba, no less! I mean, he's funny and all, but whenever I think of marrying him, all that comes to mind is…_bleeecccchhhh!_"

"Oh, I don't know," Kitty muttered, though she did giggle a bit.

"How 'bout we talk about something else?" Nala suggested. "For instance, these flowers are really pretty."

"Oh, yes, they are," Kitty agreed, smiling slightly. "These pink and orange ones are particularly gorgeous. They remind me of the sunset."

"I remember how my little brother Mheetu and I used to watch the sunset together sometimes," Nala sighed. "It's exceptionally beautiful in the Pridelands. The sky turns to bright orange!"

"Sometimes we get spectacular sunsets here," Kitty responded. "But not that much."

"Yeah," Nala replied. "Though, Mheetu and I only saw two sunsets together. He died of sickness pretty early in life."

"That's terrible!" Kitty gasped. "I don't have any siblings myself, but I can't imagine what it would be like to lose one."

Nala looked up to the daytime sky. "I haven't seen Mheetu in the stars yet," she said softly. "But he'll be there someday."

"I've seen dead relatives in the stars lately," Kitty murmured. "But Uncle Specklerex says it's just an old nursery tale."

"What does he think the stars are?" Nala inquired.

"Fireflies," Kitty replied. "Fireflies that got stuck up in the big bluish-black thing, as he calls it. Says he picked it up from some meerkat."

"He'd believe a random meerkat over his own niece?" Nala asked in disbelief.

Kitty laughed. "I know, it sounds awful if you think about it. But my uncle, while wise, is kind of quirky, and can be real fun to be around sometimes."

Nala nodded. "I guess it could be nice to meet him," she commented.

"Maybe sometime you can visit," Kitty suggested.

"That'd be fun," Nala replied wistfully. "If only the Pridelands wasn't so far away."

"Indeed," Kitty agreed. "Come on, we should go back to Kimba and Simba."

"Yeah," Nala replied, nodding. "I wonder what they are doing?"

_BANG!_

Both lionesses jumped. "What was that?" Nala asked, her eyes wide.

"Gunshot!" Kitty gasped in reply. "And it's coming from the jungle!"

"Simba and Kimba could be in trouble!" Nala added.

"Come on!" Kitty shouted, and the two lionesses sprinted off towards the jungle.

**Author's Note: **_You know how I said Mheetu isn't going to appear in this story? I lied. A bit. Mheetu himself doesn't actually appear, but he is mentioned. And I think that if Scar didn't take over, Kitty and Nala would certainly visit each other often._

_Oh, yes, and a little while back, I was looking through my stuff, and I found an old version of this fanfic. You see, I had already written some of it, but then I scrapped the whole thing and rewrote it. When I look at the old version, it's just…ugh. The chapters were short, the characters were somewhat OOC, and it's overall much worse than the new version you're currently reading._

_Kimba Episodes Referenced:_

_A Human Friend_

_Reviews are appreciated!_


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